Apertured panel socket mount



y 1953 R. D. WINKELMEYER ET AL 2,638,575

APERTURED PANEL SOCKET MOUNT Filed Nov. 3, 1949 Patented May 12, 1953 PATENT OFF-ICE 2,638,575 ,AP'ERTUEE'DPANEL SOCKET MOUNT R'o'b'ert D. winkelmeyer, Cincinnati, Ohio, and

' t inc'ent fHert'erick, Stu'rgis, Mich.,' a'ssignors to :WadeiElectric Products Company, 'Sturgi's, .Micheiaxc rporatim of Mic i an Applicatioiflloveniber 3, 1949, SerialfNo.-125,292

zIZ'tGIaims.

a This invention relates to removable pai-fel attachments and is pantie'ula'rl y, though in'ot ex- 'clusively, concerned with. socket ty pe electrical connectors that are adapted to he -relea'satbl-y *s'ecured to"control panels.

Socket connectors of the-*speific type to which the present invention herein applied, -'-for the s'ake'of illustration, ordinarily include a -socket member having a radial iiange'ithereon and a second member --mounted on the "socket member also having a radial flange-that is urged by a spring into "yi'eldable -c'ont'a'ct with the --socket flange. One of these flanges is adapted to "pass throughakeyedapertureFinapanhbfitftheother isrnot. The adapted flange, however, can -p'ass through the "aperture only when properlyia ligned therewith and, after insertion, {angular movement or rotation thereof prevents it from being removed 'throughithe aperturein the dire'ctionfrom whence was inserted. After insertiongand rotation, the adapted .iflange therefore engages one side of "the panel and the "other/flange engages the opposites'ide 'of'thepanel and, since the's'ejtwo flanges .are spring pressed toward each other, they provide 'the connector with a yielj'dabl'e but tieht'ahd'p'ositive Taxi "'rfi onfthe panel. fitiwfll be recognized, however, that the construction so fardesciiibed provides. no "more than alfric'tional rotary ,gfip Jon the panel; .ithalt is, ,if, lsu'fiioient torque is applied to 'the connec-tor .tojov'er'come the 'f rictionuresulting lf-romthe axial ,grip on the panel, ithe connector will-i'berotated relatively I to the panel. This is, 1, of course, undesirable inasmuch as vibrations- 0f the panel and the like may in time ---cause disengagement of the conn;ector from-theipanel.

It thus an iobject; of j-the present invention to provide asconnector which .=may ibe :"attached to a panel so that it is positively fixed against rotation-as we1lasagainst elicS'sl-v'e axial Ii'lb'i'lment.

further object is' to provide an attachment o'f'this type which maybe easily-andeconomically manufactured.

The features of "construction whereby these andother objects of the invention "are accorjn- Iplished are shown "by way -015'illustration, of a preferred embodiment of theinvention in the accompanyingdrawings wherein: V

Figure 1 shows a "socket connector in'iocked osition =-o n "a panel-"as "viewed-from one side of the'panel;

' Fig z shows the conhectorin un'lockel position when viewed from one sneer ap'anl Fig. '3Jis an, axials'ectionthrou'gh the connector as taken 'on lines- 3 of Fig.4

Fi 5 is a partial section taken on line 5-5 ofF igtl; and

"g. 56 iis'anexploded perspective viewof the connector.

- Ifhe present attachment 1 is adapted-for connection to the portion of *a "panel 3 surrounding the line 4- 4 "an apertur'efi which has one or more radial slots 1, (Elia'metrically fop'posed slots being illustrated. The present embodiment is a socket-type conhector having a centralhollow socket member 9 in and to whichthe terminals of one or more electrical wires-Ii (two wires H being shown) may 'besecured by suitable means indicated-generallyla't l 3. Other "means -(not shown) for se'curin'g other wires (not shown) or a bulb in the socket Qincon'tat with terminals ofwires Ii -may be attached to "the socket 9 through the medium or the bayonet slot is therein. I v

A capbrhandle fl] is fixedly secured to one end of the socket member 9 by crimping, key-- ing, 'cla'mpingpr other suitable means as indicated'atTB. The cap I! als'oserves as aretainer for a compression spring 2! whichsurroundsthe socket!) and presses upon an annular locatinga'ndse'aling ringi23 which is mounted O1'l "th socket 9 so thatthe two, members are capable of relative axial and rotary motion. The ring 23 may be. conveniently -formed from plastic inaterialsuch asphenolic Bakelite. The end of socket 9. opposite capll has fixedly secured theretofb y crimping-or the like an annular plate 255 which is provided with a peripheral flange 21. This flange has diametrically opposed radialV-ears ZB thereon ,andangularly spaced from the ears by a predetermined amount, 10 in the present case, it hasa pair of diametrically opposed radial slots 3t.

,Ax ial l-y projecting from 'the'ra'dial end face :33 of the-ringfl2'3 are Sap-air of diametrically opposite radial fk'ey formingfprotiiberances 35. The keys 35 coact;.with theislots lto prevent rotation of the .rin'g '23 relative tofthe panel 3. Keys 35 'also coact-w'ith 'the slotsf3t'to prevent rotation of the plate member '25 and socket}! relative to the memberl z 3 and, therefore, relative to the jpa'nel 3. The. keys,. 32 are of, about 'the'same size and radial position asutheiearsifi'ii and these members may bebeveled as shown-at 3! [so as to efiect afdeter'it connection tending. to resist relative rotation of the member 23 and socket- 9 when the keys 351and a fl 91am i sm nenressed en a ement- Wh n in such engagement, the keys 35 and ears 29 may be passed through the panel slots 1 as shown in Fig. 2. The flange 21 is smaller than the panel opening 5 so that it may pass therethrough, but the radial face 33 of the member 23 is larger than the opening 5 and abuts one side of the panel.

When in this position, the connector I may be locked to the panel 3 by pushing upon the cap I! and rotating it. Axial movement or pushing of the cap [1, moves the socket 9 and plate axially with respect to the member 23 and panel 3 against the resistance of spring 2|. Thisfrees the ears 29 from their bevel detentvconnections 3'! with the keys so that torque on the cap I! will cause the ears to rotate relative to the panel slots I and the member 23 which is rotarily fixed to the panel 3 by virtue of the connection of its keys 35 with the slots 7. Angular movement j of the cars 29 carries them beyond the edges of the slots 1, so that they overlie the portion of panel 3 surrounding the opening 5. Thus, the connector 1 is positively secured to the panel 3 so far as axial movement is concerned by virtue ofthe abutment of the member 23 with one side of the panel and the plate 25 withthe other.

During the initial stage of relative angular movement of the ears 29 and the keys 35, the .outer edge of flange 21 rides upon the keys .so

that the face 33 and the cars 29 are axially :9

spaced despite the pressure of spring 2|. During the angular movement, the face 33 is, normally, lightly pressed against the rear face of the panel 3. Consequently, the above-mentioned enforcedspacing between face 33 and ears 29 also maintains ears 29 out of contact with the inner face of panel 3, thereby protecting the surface of the latter. When this rotation reaches a predetermined point, 90 in this case, the slots 31 in -the flange 21 reach the keys 35 and spring pressure forcesthe plate 25 and socket 9 toward the panel so that the keys 35 seat in the slots 3! to prevent rotation of any parts of the connector I relative to the panel. Thus, the connector is positively locked to the panel against either rotary or axial movement which might eifect disengagement.

It will be noticed that the annular body of the ring 23 is imperforate and overlies the edges of the opening in the panel 3. Ring 23 thus serves to completely close this opening.

. In order to disconnect the attachment I from the panel 3, pressure is applied to the cap I! to overcome resistance of the spring 2| and move the slots 3! beyond the ends of the keys 35. The cap I! is then rotated until the ears 29 lie upon and engage the keys 35 whereupon the plate 25 may be passed through the aperture 5.

If desired, suitable means may be provided to control the amount and direction of relative rotation of the plate 25 and member 23. A preferred construction comprises an axial car '33 struck from the flange 21 and which fits in an angular slot 4| that opens into the radial face 33 of the member 23. It is evident that the angle included between the ends of the slot 41 governs the amount of relative rotation and that this should be at least as large as the angle between the ears 2'! and slots 3 l.

The foregoing construction has been shown merely to illustrate the principles of the invention and it will be apparent that various modiflcations therein may be made without departure from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is 5 "1. In a removable attachment for panels having circular apertures with a radial keyway opening thereinto, the combination of a member capable of passing through the circular aperture, a flange secured to the member of less than the diameter of the circular opening and having a radial ear of larger radius passable through the keyway whereby said flange may be inserted through the aperture, but upon rotation thereof so that the ear is not in alignment with the keyway may not be removed through the aperture, a spring pressed sealing member journaled on the member having an axial projection normally in yieldable engagement with said flange ear, said projection being receivable in the keyway of the panel aperture to prevent rotation of the sealing member, said sealing member having an imperforate body which overlies and seals the opening in said panel. 3 2. The invention as claimed in claim 1 including a detent connection between the ear and projection.

3. The invention as claimed in claim 1 wherein said axial projection engages said flange in all .but certain rotative positions of said flange and maintains an axial spacing between said flange and said sealing member.

4. The invention as claimed in-claim 1 including an axial ear on the flange and a segmental slot in the sealing member continuously receiving said ear and thereby defining the limits of rela tive rotation of said members.

5. The invention as claimed in claim 1 including a detent connection between the ear and projection-an axial ear on the flange and a segmental slot in the sealing member continuously receiving said ear and thereby defining the limits of relative rotation of said members.

6. In a removable'attachment for panels having circular apertures with a radial keyway opening thereinto, the combination of a member 0apable of passing through the circular aperture, a flange secured to the member of less than the diameter of the circular opening and having a radial ear of larger radius passable through the keyway whereby said flange may be inserted through the aperture but upon rotation thereof so that the ear is not in alignment with the keyway may not be removed through the aperture, a spring pressed member journaled on the mem-- her having an axial projection normally in yield able engagement with said flange ear, said projection being receivable in the keyway of" the panel aperture to prevent rotation of the second member and having a portion of lesser radius than the outer periphery of the flange whereby said flange contacts the same and is spaced from the end face of the spring pressed member when the ear is angularly displaced from the projection by relative rotation of themembers, and a slot angularly spaced from the flange ear in said flange and opening into the outer periphery thereof adapted to receive said projection whereby said projection is rendered ineifectual to separate the flange and spring pressed member and relative axial movement of the members toward.

the limits of relative 9. The invention as claimed in claim 6 including a detent connection between the ear and projection, an axial ear on the flange and a segmental slot in the spring pressed member receiving said ear and thereby defining the limits of relative rotation of said members.

10. The invention as claimed in claim 6 wherein the projection extends outwardly from the end face of the spring pressed member by an amount greater than the thickness of the panel.

11. In an attachment for a panel having an opening with a keyway extending outwardly from the opening, the combination of a pair of cooperating flahges relatively rotatable and relatively axially movable adapted topositively but tightly engage opposite sides of the panel around the opening, key means on one flange including a first portion of greater radius than said opening adapted to be operatively engageable with the keyway, an ear on the other flange of greater radius than said opening adapted to overlie said first portion and upon relative rotation of the flanges to engage the surface of the panel around the opening at points spaced circumferentially from the keyway, said key means having a second portion of less radius than the opening, said other flange having a slot of less radius than said opening spaced circumferentially from said ear and engageable and disengageable with said second portion upon relative axial and rotary movements of the flanges, said slot and second portion serving to prevent relative rotation of the flanges when they are engaged respectively with opposite sides of the panel.

12. The invention set forth in claim 11 wherein said second portion projects axially through the opening and said other flange rides thereon except when said second portion is received in said slot whereby said second portion serves to axially space said flanges.

ROBERT D. WINKELMEYER. VINCENT R. HERTERICK.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,905,471 Kent Apr. 25, 1933 2,012,979 Von Holtz Sept. 3, 1935 2,357,955 Johnson Sept. 12, 1944 2,360,809 Wood Oct. 17, 1944: 2,558,852 Jacobi July 3, 1951 

